


Brother's Got Ya Back

by Aurora Cee (SC182)



Category: Four Brothers (2005)
Genre: Brother Feels, Coda, Ficlet, Gen, What-If
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-05-15
Updated: 2016-05-15
Packaged: 2018-06-05 20:03:48
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,016
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6721078
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SC182/pseuds/Aurora%20Cee
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Four Brothers Coda from from Jack's perspective</p>
            </blockquote>





	Brother's Got Ya Back

**Author's Note:**

> Written in 2006

The first time Jack met Bobby, the hardened eyes of the older boy sized him up. Dark browns eyes lingered on the still visible bruises across his young face and skinny neck. The hard eyes would have frightened any other person, let alone a scared ten year old so used to being a punching bag that he wondered if he had _Champion_ tattooed across his face. No, in those eyes he saw understanding. 

The first time Jackie suffered from night terrors, he woke up so scared that he took off running through the sleep-silent house into the frigid Detroit air. He had moved so quickly and ran so far that he was sure no one would find him. When Bobby found him crying against a raggedy chain link fence blocks away, he sat quietly and allowed Jack to cry. Jack wondered when the insults would come, but Bobby shook his head silently as if reading his mind.

“I’m sorry.” Jack sobbed, feeling embarrassed by his inability to forget the past. “I’m so fucking stupid. I can’t fucking grow-”.  
   
Bobby stopped him. A firm arm tightened around his shoulder. “Naw. It’s not your fault. Don’t worry about none of it. You’ll always be my baby brother, no matter what shit happened to you or swirls around in your fruity little head.”  
   
Bobby took a breath. Jack was riveted by each word from the older boy. “If I could, I would take out every one of those motherfuckas that screwed you over.”  
   
Before Jack could be pulled out of his amazement brought on by Bobby’s words. He heard his mama’s voice in the distance calling out to the two of them. As if the moment had never happened, Bobby had shut off again, only leaving a small glimpse of the slayer of Jack's nightmares.

* * *

  
The first time Bobby told Jack he loved him was after Jack stood up for himself by decking the block bully who was twice his size. The hardened older boy had roughly tousled the younger blond’s hair. Jack wiped his dripping nose while both eyes were trained on his older brother.  
   
“Don’t screw with my brother again or Jackie won't be the only one kickin' your fat ass. I’ll kick your ass next time!” Bobby shouted, then turned to face his brother, eyes trained on something distant and far away. “Once a Mercer, always a Mercer. Love ya little bro, you’ve been payin' attention. You don’t have to prove anything to anyone but yourself and ma…but I’m proud of you.”  
   
“Thanks.” The only word Jackie got to say before Bobby went about his business. The next night he was arrested, leaving Jackie to fight his own battles and slay his own night demons for years to come.

* * *

  
After Ma Mercer’s funeral, Bobby watched Jackie strum his guitar. The glistening shine of unshed tears was bright as the young man tried to fight the need to scream out for his mama. Bobby walked in the room quietly, depositing himself on the corner of the old bed. His gaze swept across the room, taking in all that hadn’t changed since his teen years when he got a new brother.  
   
Bobby took a deep breath. As he let it out, Jack automatically halted his strumming. “ Why would someone want to kill the sweetest woman in the world?” The question hung in the air. The question was fully loaded, waiting for the whole world to answer for the horrible crime.  
   
“Whoever did it will pay. But no matter what, I am gonna to make sure this family stays together. We’re all we got in this world and we can’t afford to lose anything we got left.”  
   
Bobby turned to Jackie. A hand reaching out into empty space, he received the guitar neck as an offering. Jackie listened to his older brother who always seemed to fall into trouble but only with good reason. “ I won’t let anything happen to you guys,especially you, little bro.”  
   
Jackie sat quietly watching his brother pick the strings. He wanted to nod or shake his head. He knew Bobby would always look out for him no matter what. Jackie trusted Bobby, because he never lied to him.

* * *

   
After Jackie ran out the door following the running kid pumped up on anger. He was so blinded at the moment that he didn’t realize his first mistake until he felt the sting of the bullet in his shoulder. He tried to back up. He tried to run. He wanted to scream, but the sharp sting of bullets threw him to the ground.  
   
Somewhere through the torrents of gunfire, Jack could hear Bobby yelling for him. He wanted to yell out for his brother, his personal savior, but this time he found he only wanted one person to pick him up and carry him away from the mess, to kiss him and make him feel better.  
   
“Bobbbbyyy!” He yelled at the top of his lungs. The guttural cry could reach heaven if he held out long enough. He was cold and scared and this time Bobby couldn’t get to him. Bobby had never lied about always having his back, but this time he just couldn't keep his promise.  
   
As the cold pushed in, numbing the pain and the sounds of the bullets became non-existent, Jack waited. He looked into the blue sky. He almost smiled as the color reminded him of his mama’s eyes. Suddenly, someone crowded his view of the sky. No longer did he see his mother’s eyes, instead he saw Bobby, Angel and Jerry.  The bright sheen in the three pairs of dark eyes made Jackie wonder who would slay their monsters and whose monsters would they slay.  
   
He could hear them calling, but his mama’s voice was stronger. He left the icy bed on the dirty street only to find himself wrapped in the warm arms of his mother. They would look out for the others and make sure the monsters stayed at bay.  
   
“Yeah Bobby, once a Mercer, always a Mercer.”  Somehow Jackie knew his older brother heard him. 

 


End file.
